Droom van Jakob 1607

Giovanni Lanfranco created this etching called "Jacob's Dream," sometime in the first half of the 17th century. Notice the diagonal sweep of the composition, from the lower right corner where Jacob lies sleeping, up to the divine presence at the upper center. Lanfranco uses a dense, almost chaotic network of lines to build up forms and suggest depth, especially in the banks of clouds. These aren't the soft, fluffy clouds of a Renaissance painting, but turbulent masses that seem to crack open the heavens. This reflects the Baroque period’s interest in drama and movement, aiming to overwhelm the viewer with a sense of awe. Consider how the ladder functions here, less as a physical structure and more as a symbolic conduit. It bridges the earthly realm of Jacob with the divine sphere above. It is a visual metaphor for spiritual access, questioning the fixed boundaries between the human and the divine. The etching uses the interplay of light and shadow to draw us into Jacob's visionary experience, creating a space where the earthly and the ethereal meet.